OAN Staff Addie Davis
6:59 AM – Monday, July 13, 2026
United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said it completed another round of strikes against the Islamic Republic, adding to the mounting tally for the week.
The command said it struck dozens of targets on Sunday, utilizing a number of military capabilities, including, for the first time, one-way attack sea drones.
“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) completed a new wave of offensive strikes against Iran, July 12, hitting dozens of targets at multiple locations with precision munitions to degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking international shipping flowing through the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM said in a Sunday statement.
“CENTCOM forces struck Iranian military air-defense systems, coastal radar sites, missile and drone capabilities, and small boats using U.S. fighter aircraft, naval vessels, one-way aerial drones, and one-way attack sea drones for the first time,” the command continued.
Since the advent of hostilities, thousands of drones have been deployed by involved parties, affirming their central role in modern conflicts.
Sunday’s strikes were the latest in a series announced by CENTCOM in the past week. After U.S. officials said Iran had fired upon three commercial vessels early last week, President Donald Trump declared that the ceasefire was “OVER.”
On Saturday, CENTCOM asserted that Iranian forces had struck a Cyprus-flagged container ship in the Strait of Hormuz, followed by additional strikes by American forces that night.
“Iran was provided yet another opportunity to demonstrate adherence to the Memorandum of Understanding after being held accountable for earlier attacks on commercial vessels but has again failed,” the command stated on Saturday.
Speaking on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit last week, Trump voiced his displeasure with Iranian leadership.
“They’re scum, they’re sick people. They’re led by sick people, and they’re vicious, violent people,” he said of Iran. “And if they had a nuclear weapon, they’d use it.”
Speaking on Fox News on Monday morning, Trump highlighted the apparent broken agreement between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic, explaining that American forces would respond to Iranian attacks with decisive retaliation.
“We hit them very hard last night. Every time they send a drone, we hit them very hard,” the U.S. commander-in-chief said.
“We had a deal, it was a done deal, and then they broke it. They always break it. We’ve had 10 deals with these people. And so we’re just going to hit them very hard, and we’re going to keep the strait, and we’ll probably run it,” he continued.
The Strait of Hormuz is a vital waterway where roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas transited before the start of the conflict. Its administration had been a key sticking point in negotiations, and Tehran has reportedly asserted that Iranian forces are in control of the channel. This claim is adamantly denied by CENTCOM.
“The Strait of Hormuz is a vital maritime corridor for global trade. Iran does not control it,” the command said on Sunday.
“U.S. forces are postured and prepared to ensure that freedom of navigation remains available to commercial shipping despite Iran’s continued unwarranted aggression, harassment, threats, and arbitrary declarations,” the statement continued.
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